Scary and Rose
by Zeeben
Summary: The Hogwarts version of of Erich Kästner's Lottie and Lisa. A story about twin sisters seperated at birth who meet each other much later again. This is garanteed no Mary Sue. PG because of some evil language (uh, naughty!) Have fun with it!
1. Hogwarts Express

**Disclaimer:** This Story is a Hogwarts version of Erich Kästner's Lottie and Lisa. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. TM & © 2002. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K. Rowling.

**Author's Note:** An appeal to everybody who takes the time and reads this: Please review my story. Even if it is not constructive or anything. I just need to know that anybody in the world reads it. Thanks.

**A/N 2:** After revising this chapter and having a more solid idea about the whole story, I decided to change the title. I know, I know. I should have thought about that earlier. But better I do the change now than later or always being annoyed about it. It was called "2Black" before but I think "Scary and Rose" fits better as it is a parallel to "Lottie and Lisa". What do you think?

**Hogwarts Express**

Rose' mother had often told her about the famous Hogwarts express. The Victorian steam rail, bringing the students to her new school, Hogwarts. But never ever had she imagined it that beautiful. The sun reflected on the shining black steel surfaces and broke into thousands of blending beams. It reminded Rose of the old fashioned fireplace in her living room and of all the hours she spend there, carefully listening to the her mother's stories about past times and adventures.

Suddenly the pain started again. For a moment she was so excited she forgot all about it. About leaving her mother, the only part of family she had left. About going to live in a strange place full of people she didn't know, without a chance to come back home until Christmas. What about her mother? She was a ministry witch and had barely time for anything else than work. Rose had always been the one doing the housework, cooking the meals. She just couldn't leave.

She turned around. Her mother smiled at her proudly. Rose was torn between her feelings. She wanted nothing more than to stay. But she wanted nothing less than to disappoint her Mum. Her eyes filled with tears. She quickly swept then away, but her mother saw. She patted Rose' head than swung her arms around her and hold her in a firm embrace. Rose cried openly against her mother's shoulder.

After what seemed ages, a loud whistle caused Rose to let go. The Express was ready to depart.

Her mother once again stroked over her hair and said gently: "Come on, Rosie, be brave. And don't forget to mail everyday."

Rose nodded sadly then dragged her heavy trunk into the Hogwarts Express.

The rail was already packed with people. Rose seemed to be one of the last to arrive. Most cabins were full and it took Rose about ten minutes to find an empty seat. She tuck away her trunk then threw a glance at the other four students in her compartment: a girl with short tousled red hair, talking to a black boy about her pet owl, a blond haired chunky boy reading a magazine and next to the window there sat a girl, wearing red and black, spy sunglasses and her big, blackish brown, shoulder long hair, ruffled and unkempt. There would be enough space for another child if the girl hadn't put her feet up on the opposite seat.

They all seemed to be about Rose' age. Maybe they were in her year. She could try and make friends with them, so she wouldn't be all-alone. But what should she say?

_Hi, I'm Rose and who are you?_ Too boring. _Hello, would you like some Bertie Botts' all flavoured Beans? _Too desperate. _What do you think in which house you will come? _Too nosy. _Have you had a look at the schoolbooks? Some of the stuff seems really cool, don't you think? _Too annoying-little-nerd-bratish. Rose grinned to herself.

"What are _you_ laughing at?" the girl on the window seat asked harshly. Rose looked up startled and found that everybody stared at her now. And it weren't exactly friendly looks. Nervous of the sudden attention Rose stammered:

"Nothing. I-I was just thinking of something."

"Was it about your mummy?" the girl asked cocky. The red haired girl began to giggle. Rose just shook her head.

"I supposed so" the girl went on "you would be crying then, not grinning." now everybody laughed. "No wonder you don't want to leave mummy, who shall plait your beautiful hair in Hogwarts? Well, I won't" Again laughter. Instinctively Rose lifted one hand to her thick braids of dark brown hair that hung from both sides of her head to her waist. The guffaw just got louder. Rose' cheeks went flaming red and she wanted to sink into the ground or be invisible or anything but sitting here listening helplessly.

"Where is your father anyway? Working hard to buy those pretty little dresses of yours?" Rose wore the white summer dress her mother loved so much. She didn't want to wear it on her first day in school, but her mother asked her to. Feeling the tears creeping up, she bit on her lip.

"Or maybe he left your mother. Maybe had a bit of sense left? Didn't want to spend the rest of his life with a psycho and her spoilt offspring." Rose' lip bled. She could hold her tears any longer. She rose and dragged her trunk out of the compartment sobbing.

Outside she slid down the wall to the floor. Why did everything have to turn out like this? Why couldn't she be popular or at least accepted? In her old neighbourhood nobody wanted to talk to the daughter of the weird witch. Of course the muggles didn't know for sure Rose' mother was magical but there had always been gossip about her. Rose had been left out. Had never had a real friend or anybody else then her mother. She thought here in Hogwarts she would meet people like herself, who would understand her and maybe, just maybe, she would find a best friend like in the girls in the books she read. A friend she could tell all her secret and who would speak about everything to Rose. Somebody to laugh with and cry with…

But as it looked Rose would have to cry alone. She let her head sink on her arms in grief and despair.

Back in the compartment, the blond boy, who was called Andrew, put down his magazine and addressed the girl on the window seat.

"Don't you think you've been a bit to hard on her, Scarlet?" The girl turned her head around slowly.

"That namby-pamby girl didn't deserve different. What did she do here anyway? Anybody invited her into our cabin?" She glanced at him. The red haired girl was the first one to speak:

"Well she was pretty perky."

"Exactly, Sara, she pretty much asked for it." Andrew let go of it. He wasn't convinced but he also didn't exactly set out to fight with Scarlet.

Laurence, the other boy, quickly changed the topic.

"Does anybody know, which house they will be sorted in?"

"I guess, I come in Slytherin" Sara grinned, "All my family has been there and I like to be in the winning team."

Scarlet grinned: "The winning team is where I am."

Laurence sighed rather loudly. Scarlet laughed.

"Joke." she said smirking, "I don't know about the houses. My dad is always… away" She smiled mysteriously.

Andrew started explaining: "Well. In Hufflepuff, there are the slow people that like hard work and stuff. The nerds come in Ravenclaw. The reckless wannabe-heroes are in Gryffindor. And the ambitious and sly ones come in Slytherin."

"The ones that got what it takes to achieve something in their lives." Sara commented smugly.

"And the ones that are most likely to go to the Dark side." Andrew finished.

"Doesn't matter. That's a pretty low percentage and just means that Slytherins got the stuff to be evil overlords. They don't have to."

"I bet it doesn't matter to _you_!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you most certainly have got the stuff for that, Sara _Zabini_!"

Sara's eyes narrowed to slits. "Yes, My name is Zabini. At least I've _got_ a name that's of significance, Mudblood."

Andrew was visibly taken back by that comment. He quickly calmed down again though and replied icily: "My mother is muggle and my father a wizard but in _my_ case he is not a Death Eater. In _my_ case he is at home and not in Askaban."

Sara's face turned red in fury. 

"How dare you" she hissed, "Take that back." Andrew looked at her defiantly.

"You heard her" Laurence intervened, demonstratively pulling up the sleeves of his robes. "Take it back!"

"Just when she takes the 'mudblood' back first!" Andrew to had got up as well. Staring angrily at Laurence who was a few inches taller than him.

Scarlet laughed and broke the aggressive atmosphere.

"C'mon, you big babys. You'll have to bear each other for another eight years. Don't be pathetic. Shake hands."

They did so but not without gnashing their teeth.

"You didn't seem so peaceable when that girl was in here." Andrew muttered. Again Scarlet laughed.

"Call that natural antipathy. You two like each other actually. You shouldn't let family business come between that."

Sara nodded understandingly.

"Sorry I called you Mudblood."

"Sorry I called you Death Eater."

"Want a chocolate frog?"

"Go on then."

Well, well. And again she had settled a fight. Satisfied Scarlet leant her head against the velvet curtain and closed her eyes. Hogwarts was going to be just great. As long as nobody found out about her little secret…


	2. Coldness

**Author's Note:** Thanks to Maxine for the _only_ Review I got. This chapter was finished quite quickly. I am in the right mood for writing now. The weather is cold, the outside world dark. It is weekend and I just have a creative overload. So enjoy it as long as it is.

Another thing. Maxine asked me to mail her when a new chapter is online. If anybody else would like to be contacted just write it on the review page. Until then: Enjoy!****

**Coldness**

Rose didn't know how long she had been sitting here on the floor. Hours ago she stopped having tears to cry. She actually wanted to write a letter to her Mum on the train, but she just couldn't do it now. She didn't want her to be worried. Rose knew she wasn't able to write a letter now without letting the grief speak through word in it. The last hour she had spent looking out of the window counting the fields with sheep on.

She was just at 74, when the train suddenly stopped, in the middle of its track. She felt that something was wrong. There was an iciness in the air around her, like she had never felt before.

First she had regarded it as an illusion produced by her own inner coldness, but soon it got more intense a feeling of utter helplessness.

This can't be right, she thought shivering and got up. Rose pulled her cloak tighter and threw a glance through the glass door in the compartment. Everybody in there was asleep. It seemed normal at first, but a closer look on their faces confirmed Rose' worries. Everybody seemed to wear a look of shock and fear.

Rose' started panicking. Played with the thought of going in and waking them, but dismissed it a second later. She didn't want to give them another cause to bully her. Well, if you want something done, you have to do it yourself. Rose pulled herself together and carefully went in the direction of what seemed the origin of the coldness. Suddenly the dim lights began to flicker and then expired entirely.

From the cabins screams and shocked whispers reached Rose' ear. She would love to go in one of them, just to not be alone. But she was too curious. Rose remembered a spell her mother taught her once when she had to climb into the second cellar, where there were no lights, to find a neighbours' kitten that got astray down there.

"_Lumos!_" she whispered. A light shot from the top of her wand and lit the corridor. There! All the iciness came out of that compartment. She couldn't look in it, as the light of her wand reflected at the glass door. Rose breathed in deeply and opened the door. She gasped. A tall cloak figure stood there bowed over somebody, who seemed to be a student. Two others sat screaming in shock on the seats. Rose froze. The figure turned around and now she could clearly see. It had no face. She wanted to run, but she couldn't, wanted to scream but she couldn't. This _thing_ came nearer to her and nearer and suddenly the rigour dissolved. Rose could flee. She didn't know what broke the spell she had been under but the one second her will to live returned she used to escape.

Trembling she went back in the direction of her trunk. The world around her seemed unreal, like a dream. She tripped over something. Pulled herself up again. Stumbled a few more metres and nearly fell again. But this time she could get hold on something. She looked what it was and was shocked, as it was a small man smiling friendly at her. He was wearing an old cloak and was too old to be student. He didn't look like a teacher either. Embarrassed Rose let go of him and stuttered "Sorry." before everything started to turn around her and then she just saw black.

The creaking noise of the brakes woke her up ungently. Scarlet had just had a horrible dream of coldness and fear, of being alone and helpless in cruel darkness. Never mind. She stretched her body and yawned sleepily. Where was she? Then it dawned her. The Hogwarts Express. And they were braking. That could only mean they just arrived.

The others were still fast asleep. She shook them awake then looked out of the window. It was dark night outside already. The small train station lay peacefully there. Soon everything would be crowded with excited students.

Oh no, she didn't wear her school robes yet. Quickly she opened her trunk and sighed. It was so impossible to find anything in it. She started digging her cloth out.

Typical. The thing she searched for was always on the very ground of her trunk. Scarlet got hold of a sleeve and pulled her uniform out. It wasn't exactly ironed. So what? Enthusiastic she put on her new robes.

Sara gaped, then she too realised. They were in Hogwarts. Letting out a scream of joy she started putting on her uniform.

Now everybody, including the boys, was sitting in the compartment nervously waiting for some teacher to give the sign to leave the train.

Scarlet got up. Impatiently she looked through the glass door. The girl was not there anymore, just her abandoned trunk. For a second she feared that she had done something stupid. Just a second, then she dismissed the idea. The girl was probably on the toilet or already outside.

Scarlet sat down again, still shivering from her dream.

"Are you cold?" Andrew asked curiously.

"Yeah, why?"

"'Cause I am really cold, too. Did they turn off the heating?" 

"If they did, I am really going to have a word with those bastards" Sara's voice came "I had the most horrible dreams…"

Scarlet gasped. "I had nightmares, too!"

"Me, too." Laurence looked puzzled, "What do you think it is?" he looked at Andrew questioningly

"I don't know, but this can't just be dismissed as a side effect of a defect heating system."

"Or first days nerves." Scarlet added thoughtfully.

Sara started panicking: "Gah, this is getting scary! I want out of this train." 

"Don't Freak out!"

"Scarlet is right!" Laurence said calmly, "What ever it was, it is gone now. The cold we feel is just an echo!"

"Echo or not, I don't want to spend another minute in this cursed thing!" Sara stood up to leave the cabin but at the door she squeaked and turned around white-faced.

"What is it?" Laurence asked scared.

"That girl, she is gone. Just her trunk is left!"

Scarlet gasped. Oh no. She was responsible for this. Without another word she jumped up and dashed the door open. There she sat. As if nothing had been.

"Where were you?" Scarlet panted.

"When?" Rose asked innocently.

"Just now. Don't be stupid. You know when."

"Oh, just now. Away. Why?"

"Away? My arse. Do you think you're funny? You were hiding to scare us. Well, it didn't work."

"No actually" a voice came from beside Scarlet. She winced. "She was with me."

A small man in shabby robes stood next to her. A teacher? He did not look like one. The worn out cloth, the tousled hair, the carefree smirk, it all didn't fit to her picture of a teacher.

"Who are you?"

"You're new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Prof. Lupin. And you must be Scarlet."

He knew her name. So the girl had been squealing. No wonder, what should she have been expecting? Scarlet turned around to her furiously.

"Thank you very much, tattletale!"

"No, no, Ms. Black" Prof. Lupin intervened, "I heard about you from a different source. But what exactly should Ms. Bennett have told me?"

Scarlet scowled at Rose. Then she replied not leaving her eyes from the poor girl: "If Ms. Bennett thinks our little misunderstanding is worth mentioning, she will explain it to you herself. Good day."

With these words she turned around and entered the compartment again.

"What was that about?" Lupin asked curiously.

"Oh. We had a little fight about who pays for the sweets. Nothing big." he didn't look convinced but asked no more questions. Rose hated lying. But she really couldn't tell him she had been bullied. First the others would hate her even more and secondly he would know that she was a loser.

"Can we go to Hogwarts now?" Rose changed the topic. The Professor nodded.

"Could you help me, Ms. Bennett? Could you go in every cabin on in this direction and I take the rest? Just tell them to leave the train. Civilised."

"Sure." She went to start but then turned around again and said "And thank you for saving me today." she flushed red and quickly turned around. Opening the compartment door.

Scarlet had apparently told the others about their meeting from her point of view because everybody glanced at Rose angrily.

"You shall follow me out," she muttered quietly looking at the floor.

"Sorry?" Sara's voice came angrily, "We couldn't understand a word you were saying."

"You shall follow me out," Rose repeated a little bit louder.

"Who says that?" Scarlet asks with a cruelty in her voice Rose did not hear before, "your teacher boyfriend?"

"He is _not_ my boyfriend." Rose screamed in rage. All the piled up frustration took her over. She didn't know what about Scarlet's last comment caused that. But it felt too good to stop. "Why can't you just leave me alone? If you don't like me then just ignore me, but your behaviour is just immature. Now do you want to leave this bloody train or not? Because _I'm_ not going to wait here any longer."

Heavily breathing Rose swept out of the cabin followed by four perplex children. Where had that just come from? Wherever, she felt much, much better now. 

**A/N: **So what did you think? In which house should Rose, Scary and the others come? Please Review.


	3. The Sorting Nightmare

**Author's Note:** I spent ages wondering about the house Scarlet, Rose and the others should come in. Sara is certainly a Slytherin, Laurence too. Scarlet should be in Slytherin as well, but Andrew seems to be more of a Gryffindor. I could put him with the others though. Then Rose is left. She really, really should be with Scarlet but a story so completely without Gryffs, Ravies and Hufflepuffs? So I just started writing and it all arranged itself…

**To the reviews: **Mow Wow: I am still looking for a beta reader. I always go over my chapters after I finished them, but still don't spot all mistakes… L Storm Singer: I thought about Rose, she first seems Ravenclaw, but I think there is a lot more bravery in her than you can see or she sees herself. Maxine: Yeh, I definitely have to put Scarlet and Rose in one dormitory otherwise there wouldn't be so much tension between them and so much stress on Rose. Liebchen: Rose and Scarlet are identical twins, but Rose wore her hair in plaits and had this shyness and stuff. Scarlet wore _spy sunglasses_ (ha ha ha) and was so sure of herself. They still looked pretty similar but nobody would expect Scarlet being in any way related to Rose. It would be just so absurd that no one sees that. Doesn't that happen to you lot, too? That sometimes you think something so impossible, that you ignore completely obvious things and when you realise it, you wonder how you couldn't have spotted it before? Thanks to Python Queen and Sandstorm for writing nice stuff about my story as well. I'm glad you like it. Oh and Thanks to KAT for that constructive critic. Anyway. Let's start with the new chapter. 

**The Sorting Nightmare**

Rose clenched her hands in her lab. She was so scared, so excited. What would the sorting be like? She had overheard a conversation of two other students that were convinced they had to write a test. Others said, they would be brainwashed by a giant hat to believe in the house you would be sorted in. In what house would she come?

Her mother had told her much about Hogwarts and its houses. Rose tipped on Ravenclaw, like her mother. Not that she thought of herself as exceptionally intelligent but she had always been good in learning and picked things up quite fast. There was also the possibility of her going to Hufflepuff. Rose could work so well in the household. The one thing she liked about her was her ability to cook the most gorgeous meals out of pretty much nothing.

A murmur that went through the lines of first years pulled her out of her thoughts. An old wizard with a long white beard and hair had just entered the hall. That must be the principle, Rose thought. Not that he wore anything like a badge but, despite of his obviously advanced age or maybe because of just that, he projected an aura of authority around him. You just had to have respect for him.

Now Rose noticed the big, old hat he was carrying. So it _was_ true. They would be brainwashed. Rose shivered. But then she realised how unrealistic that would be. The other students did apparently not think so, because a frightened whisper spread over the crowd of firsties. One boy did even start to sob.

The headmaster cleared his throat loudly and silenced them. He began to hold a speech reassuring them, that they would not be harmed by the sorting procedure. Then he went on to other points but Rose didn't listen anymore. Her attention was caught by Scarlet and her friends. They were sitting in the back of the row, whispering and shooting angry glances at her. Whatever they were planning, and they were planning something Rose saw so much clearly, it wasn't something good and especially not good for her. Rose already regretted her little outburst from earlier. As good as it felt than now she stomach ache from even thinking about it. Any hope for ever making peace with them had vanished now. Any chance of them ever leaving her alone was gone.

Rose was so scared she missed the start of the sorting. A loud voice calling "BENNETT, ROSE!" pulled her back into the hall.

Oh god. It was her turn. Her face went ghost white. Trembling she made her way up the stairs to the hat that was lying on a stool. Her knees threatened to give in to the weight of her body. She sat down facing the hall full of people. All of them staring just at her. She swallowed then slowly put the hat on her head.

_Well, well, well. _A voice in her head said. _A difficult case we have here. I can remember your mother Martia Bennett. A top marks student and not just because of her intelligence that you obviously inherited. She also knew she had to work for her career. A good worker, she was. Just like you are. Hufflepuff would definitely suit that side of you. But than again you are bright and interested. A typical Ravenclaw._

Are you saying that to all the students? 

_No. Why?_

Because I am not extraordinary claver or good in anything. 

_Ah yes. Just the mother. She too was modest. Too modest as I might add. Could have been Minister of magic by now. But you are not saying the truth. You always pretend to not be extraordinary, but even if you won't admit it, you are proud of yourself. You would not want to be anybody else. Which brings me to my point. It seems, you have inherited more of your father as the pure eye may sense... _

My father, Rose interrupted, you actually knew my father? 

_Yes, and I am flattered that you did not guess me so old, but before you start asking questions about him, you are not ready to know about him yet. _His voice got slightly sad. Just a tint, but Rose noticed. _When you are, child. You're mother will tell you everything about him... Back to my point: You are indeed his daughter. There is a lot more bravery and unfortunately mischief in you, as you know yourself. So I know in which house you would fit best. It is GRYFFINDOR!!!! _He shouted the last words loud in the hall.

Rose opened her eyes and not until then realized the cheers coming from one of the tables. This must be the Gryffindor one. Still trembling, she made her way down to them searching for an empty seat being surrounded by people shaking her hand or patting her head. She smiled.

"Now look at her." Sara sneered abjectly, "Wouldn't have had her down as a Gryffindor. Thought she would be a Hufflepuff, but well. Should've guessed by the way she behaved in the train. Really arrogant. Typical Gryff-Girl. Hope she finds some friends there. Don't you think, Scary? Scary? _Scarlet_!!"

Scarlet looked up surprised. She had been lost in thoughts. She would be the next one on the stool. Which house would she come in? She hoped for Slytherin. From all she had heard it seemed to be the best house. Under no circumstances would she want to go to Gryffindor.

"What were you saying? I wasn't listening"

"So much was clear." Sara looked at her sternly. "I just said that it is no surprise that she ended up in Gryffindor, as imprudent as she were acting. She was even proud of it, little prat!"

"Yeh" Scarlet agreed, "Not one of the cleverest surely."

"BLACK, SCARLET!!" the head called her up.

A murmur went through the hall after the mention of her name. Scarlet just ignored it.

"See you in Slytherin than."

"See you."

Hearing the whispers around her did not make Scarlet struggle. _"What? Black!? That Black?" "I know they said Black, I heard it, too." _ If nothing than even prouder she marched up to the hat. Don't let on anything! Slowly Scarlet sat down on the stool putting the hat on. The hall went silent.

_And another one of you. _The Hat spoke in her head. 

What do you mean? Scarlet thought, Why another one? 

_As self-confident as her father and as him you would truly make a perfect Slytherin. _

Yes. Yes, please. Rose begged hopefully. 

_You want to be in Slytherin? You are certainly cunning enough. But alas your high spirits would ruin any sly plans of yours. Surely you could train to control that, but your true destination is none the less GRYFFINDOR!!_

No!!

But it was to late. The hat had made its decision and there was no way to change it. Scarlet's natural pale skin seemed even whiter now. As in a dream, she walked down to the Gryffindor table. Not noticing that there were far less cheers on her arrival then on everybody else's. Not noticing that only few congratulated her or patted her back. Not noticing the hostile and frightened looks many of her housemates gave her.

"What the hell…?" Sara couldn't believe her ears. Gryffindor? If Scarlet was anything not, then a Gryff-tart. The pure mention of her name and 'Gryffindor' in one sentence was… was almost blasphemous. "How much you can be mistaken in people. Right?"

Andrew nodded. Apparently he was as perplex as Sara. Even stoic Laurence seemed taken back. It was just ridiculous.

"I just hope you to don't betray me as well." She looked suspiciously from one to the other.

"No worries, mate.", Laurence seemed to have regain from his shock quite fast, "I am Slyth through and through."

"And you, Andrew?"

"Well" Andrew started, "I haven't worn the hat yet and it seems as if quite a few surprises come up..." he noticed the angry scowls the others gave him so he added "…but I am completely sure I am no Gryffindor" quickly.

"Look there, that's Blaise, my sis." Sara pointed exited on a pretty Slytherin girl with long red hair who was waving at them.

Andrew, happy about the sudden distraction, asked: "What year is she in then?"

"Year three. In the same year as Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter? _The_ Harry Potter?!?" Andrew shouted astonished.

"Yeh… Look that guy next to Blaise is Draco Malfoy. Blaise has told me loads about him. I actually think she quite fancies him." Sara flushed "I really need to get to know him. He seems to be real cool."

Laurence nodded. "His father, Lucius Malfoy, has well-good connections in the ministry of magic. He bailed my dad out a few times. A bit of a snob but there you go. You can't have everything."

"Harry Potter? Here in Hogwarts? What is he doing here?" Andrew still couldn't believe it.

"Ironing Dumbledore's pants." Sara said sarcastically and as she saw that Andrew did not get that she quickly added "No he is a student, dumbo!" before he got even more confused.

If Andrew got that insult he didn't seem to mind. Searching he looked around the hall. "Which one is it? Which house is he in?"

Sara just sighed.

"HUFFLEPUFF!!" the sorting hat shouted. Letting a smiling boy go to the yellow and black decorated table, before calling out the next student.

"LANE-CLUMBERG, ANDREW!!"

Andrew got up and walked up to the hat. Sara regarded him suspiciously. She didn't know what to think about him. One moment he is shy the next loud and incautious. One moment he is clever, the next just naïve. Well, it will all be revealed. If the hat putted him in Slytherin, then he would be worth to get to know. If he got in Ravenclaw she didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. If he came in Hufflepuff she would be quite astounded but it seems nothing is impossible, she thought bitter. But if he would be sorted in Gryffindor, though, he would be her enemy.

"It's my turn after him." Laurence said unaffectedly calm.

Sara nodded. The hat took quite long. It possibly had the same problems rating Andrew as she had. This made her smile. Just as she thought the hat would explode any second, it projected its voice in every corner of the big hall. "GRYFFINDOR!!"

Cheers broke out at the Gryffindor table.

Laurence snorted. Then he got up, nodded in Sara's direction and walked to the stool.

"LEXINGTON, LAURENCE!!"

Laurence put the hat on and at the moment it touched his head it already shouted "GRYFFINDOR!!"

What!? Sara blinked. That could _not_ be. All the people she had seen as definite Slytherins were Gryffindors. She hadn't known Scarlet and Andrew before the journey. She may have misjudged them, but Laurence? Her Laurence? Her loyal childhood friend never moving from her side? A clever and cunning as someone can possibly be aristocratic pureblood a Gryffindor? Never. Either there was something seriously wrong with the sorting hat or this was all just a very nasty nightmare. Actually when she thought about it, it didn't seem that implausible. She was sleeping on the train and after she woke up then everything went spooky and mean and just wrong.

The iciness in the cabin, this girl's sudden outburst of rage and especially the bizarre sorting. She pinched herself in the hand. Nothing. She pressed her eyes closed. Nothing. Oh God! It _was_ real then. 

Sara would definitely have to talk to Blaise about this. She waited impatiently for her sorting. She just _needed_ to talk about this.

When her name was finally called out, she nearly raced towards the hat.

_Ah, Zabini. I have heard this name before a lot of times. For the good or for the bad, Zabinis have always been powerful mages. I see this attribute in you just to clearly. You need to go in a house that helps you to use your power for the right things.  _

Just make it quick; I have to tell my sis something really important, Sara thought.

_Your sister? You want to the Slytherin table? I don't think so. You are going to GRYFFINDOR!!!!_


	4. The Photo

**Author's Note: **This chapter is considerably longer than the others. It is also quite sappy to the end. I hope you don't mind. Thanx to Maxine for her review.

**The Photo**

"Stop starring out of the window, Sara. Yeh, I know it has been a shock for you, but it's not like you are condemned to death or anything."

Sara laughed dryly. "You don't know my family, Scary. Death is still the more pleasant option for me."

"I still think there was something wrong with the sorting hat. C'mon let's go and ask somebody about it."

Sara shook her head apathetically.

"Don't just sit there. I'm getting scared. It is not that bad. All right. You are in a different house than you expected. So what? It is still exciting."

Sara didn't answer. She just stared out in the night.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Scary wasn't used to counselling. In the orphanage she grew up everybody tried to hide his or her feelings from everybody. Just don't show any weaknesses and if you do don't talk about it. She was just too impatient for this. Suddenly Sara spoke still not leaving her eyes from the window.

"You haven't seen my sister. She practically disowned me with her looks. I can't leave the room. I never want to leave it again. I don't want to see her." She sobbed quietly.

Scarlet sighed. Then she walked up to Sara and put her arms around her shoulders. "Look, if anybody dares saying one wrong word to you they will wish the were never born." They both were silent until Sara nodded and said sniffing: "Thanks."

In this moment the door opened. The girls looked up and quickly broke the embrace. Sara swept her tears away. Then she smirked.

"Well, well, well, if this isn't our little friend from the train. _Rose Bennett_ if I am not very much mistaken."

"I think that was her name, Sara. What could she possibly want in our dormitory?"

From one moment to the next all Rose euphoria was gone. Why didn't she think about it earlier, that she had to share a room with Scarlet and Sara? The eyes widened in shock she stood in the doorframe. Sara got up and walked menacingly towards her.

"Scarlet asked you a question, dear don't you want to answer it?"

Her eyes were red and swollen. Had she been crying? Surely not.

"I sleep here." Rose replied anxious.

"And you think that gives you the right to just walk in without knocking? No wait. I am sorry, you do have the right. After all you are Professor Lupin's pet."

"Sorry." Rose muttered and then turned to make her way quickly to the bed but Scarlet got up now as well and stood in her way.

"Sorry, what?"

"_Sorry, Sara and Scarlet._" She mocked her. Scarlet smile vanished.

"I think you know by now that her name is Zabini and mine is Black. You are not given the permission by any of us to use our first names, or did that mother of yours have no time to teach you some manners?"

Rose didn't know what had been going on before she had entered the room but it seemed she chose the wrong moment to come in. the only thing she wanted was to go to bed and sleep in peace. But she never ever would degrade herself. Now she knew what the hat had meant. She stared at Scarlet defiantly. She knew so many hurting things to say to her. So many things that would make the impact on her as it had on Rose. But she was in the minority and the last thing she wanted was to be beaten up. So she just turned around and went for the door.

"Where do you want to go?" Scarlet asked not and Rose spotted a slight bit of concern in her voice.

"To Professor Lupin." Rose replied coolly, "I am going to ask for a single dormitory for me so I am not bothering you anymore."

"You don't dare telling on us." Scarlet hissed. In her voice a tint of uncertainty.

"Oh I would never dream of doing that." Rose turned around again with lots of regained self-assuredness. "But if he should ask me why I want my own room I would not lie to him. It's unethical."

She could see the rage in the girl's faces.

Finally Sara snarled: "Fine, you can go to your bed now. I hope you have pleasant dreams." Then both stepped aside to let Rose through to her bed. But just as she passed Scarlet she heard her whispering, "You are going to pay for this, Bennett!"

Rose lay down and wept herself to sleep.

The next day Scarlet got up after weird dreams about maniac children eating heads. She yawned and then realised were she was.

"Sara, Sara" she screamed excited. "Wake up. Think of that! We are actually going to Hogwarts!!"

"We went to Hogwarts yesterday." Sara muttered grumpily in her cushion.

Scarlet pretended she hadn't heard her.

"Do you know what we are going to need today? I have my scrolls, my quill… Oh I have to wear my uniform. Can you believe I was nearly going to go to my lessons in my Pyjamas?"

Sara sighed and slipped out of her bed.

"No I cannot believe that!" She snapped at her sarcastically.

"You have to do something against that temper of yours, Sara-dear." Scarlet shook her head dispraisingly. "Come now. We are late for breakfast already."

"Wait. Where is that Rose?" Scarlet turned around to find Rose' bed empty and her duvet tidily folded up.

She shrugged. "Probably already in the hall." She looked at her pleated pyjamas that were lying on her trunk. An idea was coming in her mind. She smirked.

"What about, Sara, we have a look in her trunk. She might have forgotten her school things and that would just be _too _bad. What do you think? Shall we have a look for her?"

Sara nodded smiling mischievously.

The girls went to Rose trunk and opened it carefully. As expected everything was put tidily on perfect piles. Scarlet sneered as she pulled out of a corner a little black book. A diary? She opened it and found it was a photo album. Scarlet flicked through the pages and suddenly stopped dead. She stared at a photo of a young woman. She was not extraordinary beautiful with her pale whitish skin in her straight brown hair. It was her eyes that burned into the ones of the viewer. Those big brown eyes with long lashes. In them so much happiness as if the world was not a big battlefield. The eyes of somebody who believed there was something like altruism.

Scarlet knew this woman and not just that. She knew this picture. Hastily she grabbed her purse out of her pocket and got a knitted photo out. She straightened it and held it next to the one of the woman. They were identical.

Scarlet ripped the picture out of the book and close in shock. Sara looked up from a private letter to Rose she was reading. "What's that you've got there?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing interesting." Scarlet replied. "Just some old photos. I only just realised that we are getting far to late on our first day. Let's go." With that she put the ripped out photo in her bag, tucked the other things back into the trunk quickly and left for the door. "Are you coming now or what?"

Sara was not the least bit convinced there was nothing in that photo album but she followed Scarlet. She would have to investigate here…

The breakfast was the most wonderful one Scarlet had ever had in her life. In the orphanage they just served tea and buttered bread. She had never imagined that a breakfast could be a real meal. She enjoyed every morsel.

Laurence regarded her strangely cool. Even cooler than he normally did.

"What's up?" she asked with full mouth.

"It's just… Do you know what they say about you?"

"What do they say?"

"That you are Sirius Black's daughter. I that true?"

Scarlet laughed. Here we go again. "No, stupid! My father is… Well you promise you don't talk about it to anyone?" She smiled mysteriously.

Laurence nodded and Sara and Andrew moved over. They all looked at Scarlet curiously.

"Well" she whispered, "My father is a top agent for the ministry of magic. That's why I was brought up in the orphanage."

"Really", Sara gasped, "Where is he now?"

"Mh, I don't know if I should tell you." Scarlet looked from one to the next. Oh she loved it when every little bit of attention fell on her, when the people hung at her lips, when tension was thickening the air. Yes, she was a master in achieving this state of listening. Be it the truth or lies. Everything could be expanded. Everything could make an impact was it told in the right way and in right doses. Don't tell too much or they won't believe you, don't tell to few or they won't be interested.

"But it won't hurt if I tell you vaguely." And again the tension rose. "He is in Romania. Transylvania to be exact."

"With the vampires?" Sara asked excited.

"He is but… they don't know it. He is spying on them."

"What is he spying on?"

"Sorry. I can't tell you. You must understand. It's all top secret." she put a finger on her mouth.

"When will you see him again?"

"It's never sure. I hope for Christmas. The last time was a month ago. He was here for two weeks and showed me some spying methods."

"He did what? That's just so cool. You must teach me spy stuff too."

"I will. Someday. But now we have lessons. What is next?"

"Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs then Potions with the Slytherins and then Flying again with the Slytherins." Laurence seemed unaffected by Scarlet's story though he didn't look as if he didn't believe her. It was very hard to read his thoughts. Maybe impossible.

Transfiguration was the most interesting thing Rose had ever done. She got along with the Hufflepuffs, in the sense of not being bullied. Her experiences were too hurting and too fresh to try and start a friendship with one of them. She didn't say much but the looks they gave her were honest and nice.

The subject itself was very fascinating. The little presentation of animagus skills McGonnagal had given them had been just so cool. Rose wished she could do something like that. Then she wouldn't have to flee from Scary's gang after the classes. She would just transform and do what she wanted to do. Maybe she would live with other animals or if she was a bird she could fly home everyday to visit her Mum.

Potions had been the exact opposite to Transfiguration. The teacher Professor Snape had been silencing rather than persuading to pipe up. Additionally he seemed to dislike Gryffindors very much. If Rose wouldn't think it was absurd or a teacher she would even think he loathed them.

Snape seemed to have taken _special_ interest in Rose. That means he asked her every second question and as he saw she new most of the contents he asked her more and more difficult questions searching for gaps in her knowledge. Had he found one he used it to humiliate her in front of everybody much to Scarlet's pleasure.

She was so happy that the lesson finished and didn't loose any time while packing her things in case he found another reason to torment her. She nearly run out of the class and turned to the school grounds for their flying lesson.

That should become very interesting, she thought bitter, me on a broom, as if the humiliation wasn't already big enough.

When she opened the door she realised it was raining. If you could call it like this. It was more than just rain. Oceans were pouring from the sky. 

Now the others had arrived too. Scary could hear moaning. Lots of people had looked forward to their first Flight lesson and it was very unlikely that there would be a lesson in this weather.

There wasn't. Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, had led them to the greenhouses where the replacement lesson was taught. It must have been very hard to educate a bunch of bad-tempered first years, whose last thing they wanted was to dig out roots. Well most of them. Rose loved Herbology. She wouldn't have thought it could get any better than Transfiguration but she was wrong. Everything Professor Sprout said. And was it just a small remark about different types of earth was fascinating Rose like nothing else. She didn't know what it was that made different sizes of magic potential in soil or the red and black of the German Blackthorn or the pulling techniques of passion root so interesting. She needed to talk to Professor Sprout. Rose wanted to take more jobs in the greenhouse. That had two advantages. First she could spend more time with the plants and second more importantly she wouldn't have to be around Scary and the others so much.

"I can't believe that we miss our very first flying lesson because of a stupid rain." Sara sat in a corner of the greenhouse and looked more than miserable. "Quidditsch is played in every weather. Scarlet, what are you staring at?"

Scarlet turned around. "Look at Rose. What's she doing with Professor Sprout?"

Sara looked in the direction Scarlet pointed. "Apparently sliming. What did you expect her to do?"

"Maybe she is telling on us. She was staring in my direction the whole time before this."

"Oh Scare, you get paranoid. She is probably just asking to give the class more homework or something."

"I hate her. She needs to be taught a real lesson and not in Herbology. What do you think are we going to finish her off?"

"I don't know Scary. Don't you think it is getting a bit to boring? Why can't we just leave her?"

"You're afraid or what?"

"No. It's just that I don't understand why you hate her so much. Yeh, she is annoying and stuff but you did turn on her the moment you first saw her. What is going on?"

"I just want he to have respect for us. I thought you were actually Slytherin. You must understand what I mean. You must know how important respect is."

It was lucky that Scarlet was wearing her sunglasses because in her eyes there was much more than just hate. Also fear…

"Alright, alright. What are we going to do? And don't you dare using Slytherin against me again. I don't appreciate it when people stir in my wounds. Those who do it may die a horrible death."

Scarlet smiled. She always got what she wanted.

"I go and ask the boys to come. We are going to get her after this lesson."

Rose was happy. She was going to work here in the greenhouse now everyday in the afternoon. Sprout was positively fond of her. The first person in Hogwarts. When the lesson was over she waited a moment till the other students were gone so she wouldn't get any remarks from Scary's crew, then she left the greenhouse lightly. The rain still wasn't any better. if anything then it just had gotten stronger.

Rose put her books under her coat and her hands over her head and ran… directly into the trap.

"Hey, Rosy-Mouse", Scarlet sneered and laughed as Rose realised in shock. "We thought we wait for you so you don't have to walk back to Hogwarts all-alone."

"Just leave me!" Rose turned to run away.

"Oi, Bennett. Do you miss something?"

"Where did you gat that?" Rose face went red with fury as she saw Scarlet holding up the picture of her mother. Her favourite picture. The one where she looked so beautiful.

Scarlet smirked and without a moment of consideration ripped the photo in half.

Rose let out a scream of rage and jumped on Scarlet. Having the advantage of surprise she managed to push her to the muddy floor and rip her sunglasses of. Her fire filled blue eyes looking in Scarlet's cruel green ones. A moment. Then Scarlet hit back. Turning Rose on the ground. They went on the rain straightening their hair the mud sticking on their robes and faces.

Until both fall down to the ground next to each other gasping. Then when they rose it happened.

"Creepy!" was the only thing Sara could say and the boys fell entirely silent. There they stood those girls archenemies and it was impossible to tell was who.

"Identical." Andrew gasped.

Slowly the girls turned to see each other. Full of fear of what they might find. 

It was like looking in a mirror. Like a nightmare and like a dream come true. They always had wanted this so much and always had feared it. And in this short moment that seemed like the world forgot to turn and time forgot to go on they saw that they knew it all along. Not since today and not since Hogwarts but always.

Still hanging on to the image of herself that was not, Scarlet slowly lifted a hand. Then she slapped her. Rose was thrown back to the ground. A sharp stinging pain in her face and in her heart.

Scarlet just ran.

**A/N: **And? Please, please review.


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